ESL Newsletter

English as a Second Language or ESL is "a program of techniques, methodology and special curriculum designed to teach English Language Learners or ELL students English language skills, which may include listening, speaking, reading, writing, study skills, content vocabulary, and cultural orientation" (US Department of Education (ED), n.d.).

Students who receive ESL services collaborate with a licensed ESL teacher who helps them acquire or improve their English language skills in four domains- Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.

Wilkes County Schools partners with WIDA to provide "tools and support to help educators and multilingual learners succeed."

Students receive services twice a week for 30 minutes or once a month for 30 minutes depending on their current ACCESS scores.

• Students with a composite score of 1-3 are pulled from their regular classroom twice a week for 30 minutes to work on specific skills they need extra support in.
• Students with a composite score of 4 or higher are mainstreamed in their regular classroom. They are pulled once a month for 30 minutes to work on specific skills they need extra support in to ensure they are receiving as much content time as possible.

ACCESS is the collective name of the summative English language proficiency assessments English Learners take annually in Kindergarten through 12th grade. ACCESS is also suitable for all students, offering alternate ACCESS testing if necessary.

This summative assessment is a computer-based test that responds to student performance. Students in Kindergarten take a paper-based test in a game-like, interactive format. Students in grade 1 to 3 will complete the writing portion of this assessment on paper, and the remainder on a computer. All other grades will complete the entirety of the ACCESS assessment online.

ACCESS may be administered in a small group or individual setting.

The ACCESS testing window for the 2024-2025 academic year is January 13 - March 14.

🍀No days off in March🍀

Every week I will post a new resource, such as graphic organizers, games, or articles, that classroom teachers can use to support their ELL/ML students.

Week of 9/16 - 9/20 Resource: 12 Ways Classroom Teachers Can Support ELLs

Week of 9/23 - 9/27 Resource: Oral Language Development and ELLs: 5 challenges and solutions

Weeks 9/30 - 10/11 Resource: Tips for Educators of ELLs: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4- 12

Week of 10/14 - 10/23 Resource: The Components of Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Week of 10/28 - 11/1 Resource: Supporting English Language Learners: Resources for Educators and Administrators

Week of 11/4 - 11/15 Resource: Make History Come Alive with Books!

Week of 11/18 - 11/22 Resource: shared via email

Week of 12/2 - 12/6 Resource: LEGO's to Explain Math

Week of 12/9 - 12/18 Resource: Differentiated Instruction for ELL's

No new resources for January and February due to ACCESS testing.

Week of 3/10 - 3/14 Resource: DIFFIT

Please contact me if there's anything that I can help with, questions or concerns.

Monday- Friday 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

jaimese@wilkes.k12.nc.us